


I Knew Everyone in 1982

by gaypunkspaceunicorn



Category: 200 Cigarettes
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, I think in this movie Martha Plimpton is Christina Ricci's cousin?, IDK I'm ignoring canon cause I have a bad memory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 21:30:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16227710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypunkspaceunicorn/pseuds/gaypunkspaceunicorn
Summary: Val and Stephie the year after New Year's Eve 1981





	I Knew Everyone in 1982

On New Year’s Day, Val had said 1982 was gonna be the best year ever, and she had meant it. She and Stephie were gonna take over the world, she could just sense it. But before she knew it, Val was back in Ronkonkoma, back in her house with a furious mother, back home with nothing to do. 

Sure, Val had Stephie, her confidante and best friend, but Stephie was still wishing for a phone call from Dave or Tom or whatever his name was, despite the fact that she wasn’t even sure she had given him her number. Or that if some New York punker guy called her house and her mom picked up, they’d both be in even deeper shit than before.

“Why are you so glum?” Stephie asked one day in July as they shared a cigarette behind Val’s house, overlooking a scraggly creek and forest. 

“I’m not glum, I’m bored.” 

“Why?” Val sighed.

“God, Stephie, why do you have to know everything?” she snapped, and immediately regretted it, taking a drag on the cigarette.

“Uh, cause I’m your best friend!” Stephie grabbed the cigarette and ground it into the dirt under her yellow heel. “And I want to know why you’re acting like such a stuck-up bitch lately.”

Val was about to answer, the words right on her tongue, but then her mother burst out of the door, her nostrils flaring.

“Were you girls smoking?” sShe demanded, all fire at 5’3” in a terry bathrobe and curlers, a cigarette grasped loosely in her hand.

“You’re smoking, mom.” Val pointed out. 

“Yes, Valerie, I am, but I did not lie about my whereabouts to run off to a party in New York City, where I could have been kidnapped, or murdered, or god knows what!” sShe bristled.

“Oh my god, Mrs. Trenton, she said she was sorry!” Stephie burst out, standing up and grabbing her purse. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Val.” And with that, she was gone.

“I don’t know why I let you keep seeing her, you know. I honestly don’t. That girl is a bad influence on you.” Val didn’t say that she had been the one to suggest they go to the party, actually. 

“Uh, cause she’s my only friend and I’ll never talk to you again if you don’t let me see her?” 

“I can’t believe how melodramatic you are, Valerie. You need to grow up.” And with that, she was back in the house, and Val was alone. Again. So typical.

Once school started, things were way worse. At least during summer, Val and Stephie could just sit in her backyard all day, but now they had to study and go to dances and talk to shithead boys. 

“Ugh, this sucks.” Val complained one day as they sat in science class, staring at a dead frog.

“What, the frog?” Stephie asked, poking it with her scalpel.

“No! Come on. This!” She gestured broadly. “We’re seventeen, we should be out in the world having fun! Not dissecting frogs.” 

“Oh my god, Val, are you still on about that stupid party?” 

“No, well, yes, I don’t know. I guess it just gave me a taste of freedom.” 

“It wasn’t even that great. We almost died, like, twice, and I didn’t get either of those guys’ numbers!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Val excxlaimed. Their teacher glanced over, and she looked down at the frog, giving it a little stab. “You had a great time, and now you’re just as miserable as me.” Stephie grumbled and shifted away from Val.

From that point on, things were different. Not too different, just slightly off-kilter. Val spent a little more time blasting music into her ears in the lunchroom than sitting on the back steps with Stephie. A little more time lying motionless in her bed than doing homework. Or doing anything, really. 

Sure, they still talked. They still sat in their backyards, drinking whatever they could scrounge up out of their parent’s liquorliquour cabinets. Or standing outside the strip mall, watching cars fly by. They both had their licenses, but no car. And Val could tell that Stephie felt exactly the same way she did. 

Eventually, they found themselves on New Year’s Eve, 1982. Stephie’s parents were throwing a party, with dime-store favours and 7-layer bean dip. 

“I can’t believe it.” Val said, sitting in Stephie’s basement as their siblings and cousins and family friend’s children ran around their feet.

“What?”

“I said 1982 was gonna be the best year yet. God, how wrong was I?” 

“Yeah, well, it could be worse.” Stephie muttered.

“Why do you have to be like that?” Val asked angrily.

“Like what?”  
“Like everything’s a joke to you, and you don’t care about my feelings.” Stephie quickly turned to look into Val’s eyes. 

“That’s not true. Come on, let’s go up to my room.” Stephie grabbed Val’s hand easily and nearly dragged her up the two flights of stairs.

“Listen, okay?” Stephie started. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch, I’m sorry about everything, but you’re at fault too.” 

Val nodded. “I know, I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Tears were started to form in her eyes, but she didn’t know why.

“1982 has just been shit.”  
“I know.” Val realised how close Stephie was standing to her, but she didn’t care.

“And I know I’m so hung up on that party, but it was great. It was terrifying, but it was fun. And it was just me and you, against the world. And that’s all I want.”

Stephie smiled a little, her beautiful smile. “I think I know something that could make 1982 a little better.”

Val almost stopped breathing, as she heard her family count down the year downstairs. As Stephie slowly leaned in and kissed her. 

It was soft, gentle, not wanting anything from her. Val realised it had been what she had always wanted.

“I love you.” She whispered.  
“I love you too.” Stephie responded.  
“1983 is gonna be the best year yet. And this time, I mean it.” Val grinned and kissed Stephie again.


End file.
